Stalked
by The-Shadow16
Summary: Basically about a girl, Dan, PJ, Phil and later maybe Chris. I DO NOT OWN DAN, PJ, PHIL OR CHRIS. rated M for slight smut, fluff and mention of rape. Please leave a comment and rate, I will try to reply to every single one of you! sorry if there are any spelling errors, I am not english I am dutch:) oh and in this story, PJ is a bad person. just so you know:P
1. Chapter 1- Dan

"Dan?" I called, crying. Dan and I had just moved in together. We had been dating for about four months now, but we loved each other enough to know this would work out. Our parents said we were rushing things, but we couldn't care less. All we knew was that we loved each other, and nothing could keep us from being together. At least, that is what we thought. That is what we thought until PJ moved into town. Let me start at the beginning.

I had been sleeping awfully these days, though I didn't know why. I hoped some exercise would do me good. I was on my way to tennis practice, just like every other Wednesday. I was excited, because there was a new boy, and he was assigned to practice with me. I hadn't met him yet, all I knew was his name. Dan. I was excited, because somehow I knew I would like him. I had my hopes up, since I had never had a boyfriend, and I really wanted to know what it was like. What love was like. I knew love didn't just happen, but still, a girl can have dreams, right? When I walked onto the court, I saw him standing there. He stood out, none of the other boys in my town looked the way he did. I immediately knew he wasn't from here. All the boys I knew didn't quite have such amazing hair, and they weren't as tall. 6"2 I guessed. He had dark brown hair, which nearly looked black. He had a fringe which looked amazing on him. I walked up to him, and I noticed his eyes. It wasn't a special color, just brown, but somehow it was amazing. "Hi, I'm Kyra. You must be Dan." I said, trying not to sound like I was about to drool all over him. "Hi, I guess we are going to be practicing together. It would be nice to have a friend, since I am new to town." He smiled. It was an amazing and mesmerizing smile. He had dimples, I noticed. Dimples were one of my weaknesses. There was no point in falling for him, I told myself. No one had ever fallen for me, why would he? I decided I had to stand down, and not try to get him to like me. This had never worked out before.

When practice was over, I went to my bike to go home. I was just crossing the road when I heard Dan shouting my name. I turned around and saw him sprinting towards me. I didn't understand the look on his face. Scared? Why would he look scared? Then I understood. I did more than understand. I felt. I got hit by the car that was speeding towards me. The next thing I remember was the white ceiling of the hospital. I felt a searing pain in my head, and there was a ringing in my ear. I moaned. Then I heard a faint whisper. "Kyra?" it was Dan. He was next to my bed. He had seen everything happen. He looked like a ghost. "I think you should lay down , you look like hell." I told him in a sarcastic tone. He smiled in relief. "Thank god. Are you okay? I was so scared. I saw the car heading towards you and I tried to save you but…" he started panicking, I saw it. "Shh," I told him. "You couldn't do anything. That bastard was just going too fast, and I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. It wasn't your fault, you know that." He started calming down. Good. He didn't need to know how much everything hurt and how much I just wanted to scream. But I wasn't going to, I wouldn't. "Don't you want any morphine? The doctors said you were lucky to be alive." He cared? Why? I had just known him for an hour or two, why would he care about how I felt? I guess he is the kind of person that cares about other people way too much. "I'm fine." I told him, with the best poker face I could manage. "I'm just glad you still remember me. You could have lost your memory, you know." He said, staring into my eyes. I was frozen. God, he was so gorgeous. And I had him all to myself here. The only words I could say without starting to hyperventilate were "How could I forget?". That did it. My feelings at the beginning of the day were right. I was going to like him. Also, a great question had been answered. I knew what love felt like, and it had just happened to me. Apparently he felt the same way. He kissed me. Before I knew what was happening his lips touched mine. I was in heaven, I told myself. This wasn't real, it couldn't be. But it was. It was amazing. He was so gentle, it was barely a brushing of our lips, but it felt like a bomb had exploded. I didn't feel my pain anymore. All I felt was his presence in the room. Him touching me. He pulled away before I even wanted to, but I didn't want to seem desperate so I pulled away too. "Well that certainly works better than morphine." I said when I had caught my breath. He laughed. Out loud this time, and more butterflies went through me. "I have been wanting to do that ever since I saw you walking onto the tennis court." He said. I couldn't believe it. What was happening to me? How could it? Did God think I had been alone for long enough? Was it just luck? Right now, I didn't care. All I cared about was Dan sitting on my bed, holding my hand as if his life depended on it. We talked for hours, until the nurse said I needed rest and Dan had to go. He insisted to stay, and the nurse looked at me. I asked her if he could sleep here. She was about to turn around to get him a blanket and a pillow when I said there was no need. Dan understood what I meant and laid down next to me. I felt the electricity going through my body when I felt him that close to me. I rested my head on his chest. God I loved him already. And that just within a day. That was the first time in months I slept well.


	2. Chapter 2-great ending to a great party

When I woke up it was 6 am. Dan wasn't in my bed anymore. Instead, there was a note. "I am out to get us some breakfast. I'll be back soon. Xoxo, Dan." I felt the butterflies again when I read his name. Everything that had happened yesterday felt like a dream. But this note was proof it had all happened. I still couldn't believe it. Someone actually liked me. Just when I wanted to get up and see where Dan was, the nurse came in and ordered me back into bed. She said there was no way she was going to let me get up. She kept on ranting about the seriousness of my accident, but I didn't listen to her. My mind was occupied with only one thing. Dan. When the nurse finally left, I sneaked out of my room, ignoring my headache and sore feet, and went to the cafeteria. I searched for Dan. I was just about to leave when I saw him walking towards the hall my room was in. I yelled his name and he spun around, a look of worry on his face. He sat the food and tea he had in his hands on the nearest table and ran towards me. "You can't be out of bed! You are hurt!" more worry crossed his face as he studied me. Shit. He noticed I was limping. "I'm fine." I said, knowing it was useless. Without a word he lifted me off of my feet and carried me to my room. If it was anyone else doing this, I would have been mad and told them not to treat me like a child. With him, I felt like a princess needed to be rescued, and I let him take care of me. He put me down on the bed so gently that I thought he was scared I would break in half if he did this any faster. He left the room to get the food and came back even faster than I thought possible. He had picked out some French toast and strawberry yoghurt. The tea was caramelized pear, I tasted. My favorite. "How did you know I liked all of this?" I asked him. "Well, yesterday, when you were asleep, your parents visited. They had only heard about the accident six hours after it had happened. I wasn't in your bed when they arrived, I didn't want to give the wrong impression. Your mom sat there for hours, crying and telling me all about you, as if you were about to die. How you liked pandas, and that you cared so much for everyone around you. That you had never had a boyfriend." I started blushing and he grinned at me. "Of course, that isn't true anymore." He said. Really? Was he really that into me to state that he was my boyfriend? Wow, I am so lucky. "Well, since you are my boyfriend, I would like to know more about you. And you'd probably want to know more about me. How old are you?" I knew my parents wouldn't want me to date someone I didn't know the age of, and quite frankly I was curious. "22. My birthday was the 11th of June. What about you?" 22? Well, my maximum age difference was set at 8 years, so it's within boundaries. "16. My birthday was the 19th of April. I really hope this isn't a mayor turn off for you, I am 6 years younger, practically still a child." "You are not a child to me. I really like you, Kyra, age isn't going to change that." He flashed one of those amazing smiles again. "What about your parents? Don't they want to know where you are?" I asked him. His parents must be worried, they haven't heard him come home. "My parents didn't move here with me. I live alone." Wow, I would have been terrified to move to a town alone without knowing anyone. "Of course, the hospital had to call my parents as well, and they didn't really formulate it very well. The hospital said I was involved in an accident. My parents thought I was the one who was injured, which is understandable. It took the hospital an hour to calm them down." I saw he was enjoying this, and even I thought it was pretty funny. "Ever since they have been calling me. Apparently they needed to hear from me that I was fine." "They're not coming over, are they?" I knew the look he had on his face. I had used it so many times myself, that I knew what it meant. He was not telling me something. "Well, once I told them that I had met you, and that I liked you, they wanted to meet you, and make sure you were okay as well. Trust me, I tried to talk them out of it, I knew you wouldn't like to meet my parents already. There was just no stopping them. I'm sorry." I knew he meant it. "It's okay, I think it's sweet they want to make sure I'm fine." I assured him. I didn't mind. I knew his caring for others runs in the family.

"I am bored," I told him. I had finished my breakfast four hours ago and Dan's parents had already visited. They were very nice to me, and genuinely seemed to care. When they left Dan told me it was one of the most embarrassing moment of his life, but I thought it was cute, and he kissed me again. It was the same gentle kiss as yesterday, but with more passion. Last time he was a bit hesitant, he didn't know if I liked him or not. I felt he knew it now. "Should I put on a movie?" he asked. I would love to watch one with him, but I doubt the nurses were going to let me, since they still thought I shouldn't even move. "The nurses won't allow it. They think I cannot do anything without breaking apart or dying." I saw him smiling. "You have no idea of how persuasive I can be." He said. "I can imagine."I said, sighing. It wasn't a sigh of boredom, it was one of love. He knew it. "What kind of movie do you want?" he asked in a most gentle voice. "Surprise me." I said.

A moment later he came back with a movie. A horror movie. "Do you like horror?" I asked. I hated it, to be honest, but with him I didn't care. I would be laying on this bed with him next to me, and that was all I needed to feel safe. There was no way I could get scared when I had him to protect me. "It is my favorite genre. Why? Don't you like it? I can get a different one if you'd like." He must have heard it in my voice that I didn't really like it. "It's fine, we'll watch it." I told him. I didn't want him to leave again, I just wanted to feel him next to me. He put the movie on and laid down. He opened his arms for me and I cuddled into him. I never thought this would be comfortable. I had seen it in movies all the time, but damn, I could cuddle like this all day. Once the movie was over, Dan had fallen asleep. I guessed he had seen the movie already, and thought it was boring. I turned off the tv and cuddled into him again. I fell asleep as well.

After two weeks I could finally go home again. Dan had been in the hospital every day and I had learned more about him. He lived in London before coming here. How he had a best friend at home, PJ, and that he really missed him. That he was glad he had moved here, otherwise he wouldn't have met me. How he likes to play kingdom hearts, one of my favorite games. He loves true blood, which I have never watched. He promised me we'd watch it together. When I got home my parents had organized a big party. Dan and I thought this was the right time to announce he was my boyfriend. We had a great time at the party, and my friends really liked Dan. I was glad when it was all over, because I was really tired. I went to my room to find Dan there. He had lit candles and put on nice music. He gestured me to come to him. I did and he laid me down on my bed. He laid down on top of me and I couldn't do anything but stare into his eyes. "I love you." I whispered. "I love you too." He whispered back. At that he started kissing me. At first it was still gentle, but within time it got more rough and we could feel the tension build in our bodies. We wanted each other, and we wanted each other bad. He started kissing my neck while he was unbuttoning my shirt. I had never had sex before, but I was ready. I had watched porn, and I knew the basics. I couldn't move. Dan's body was pinning me to the bed. He had unbuttoned my shirt and leaned back a little to see what was underneath. "God, you are so beautiful." He whispered. I was nervous in the beginning, but now he assured me I had nothing to be afraid of. He kissed me again for a while and removed his own shirt. He wasn't a body builder, and he wasn't fat. It was somewhere in between, just the way I like it. He got off of me, but not enough to let me move again, and removed both of our pants. Thank god I always wear matching lingerie and keep it tidy down there. He got back on top and kissed even more passionately than before. I let my hands run through his hair as he started to take off my bra. I was terrified that he wouldn't like what he'd see, but he didn't seem to care. He seemed to love every bit of me, and I was sure he was going to explore every bit. He got back to the kissing while rubbing, probably unconsciously, his body onto mine. He had taken off his underwear, but I didn't notice. I was too occupied with the kissing, I was trying my best. He took off my underwear as well. He stared into my eyes. "Are you ready for this? I don't want to do this unless you do." He said. He really cared for me, and I loved him for it. He made me feel so special. I wanted him to take my virginity. "I'm ready." I whispered.


	3. Chapter 3- the first fight

When I woke up, Dan was still asleep. He was so cute when he was sleeping. I had seen this many times before in the hospital, but I never got tired of watching him. He looked so perfect, and I still couldn't get over the fact that he was mine. I was nervous at the party yesterday, afraid he might like one of my friends more, but once the party was done he showed me he loved only me. He opened his eyes and smiled when he saw me staring at him. "Good morning beautiful." He said, still half asleep. "Morning." I said, and I kissed him. It was brief, but still amazing. I got up and went to get a shower. I always left the door unlocked. My family would never walk in anyway. I was just washing my hair when the door opened. I nearly shouted that the person had to fuck off when I saw who it was. Dan. He was here to join me in the shower. He locked the door behind him and joined me. I rinsed out my hair and wanted to wash myself when Dan said "Here, let me.". He washed my body delicately. I did the same with him. As we let the soap rinse off we kissed. He pressed me against the wall softly while giving me all of his love through that kiss. He stopped and stared at me, and I started blushing. "I must look like a nearly drowned cat." I said, wondering if my make-up from yesterday was all over my face. I didn't have time to get it off, we were… busy at the time. "I happen to like nearly drowned cats." He said. Somehow he made it sound so sweet. If it wasn't coming from him I would take it as an insult. He has a way with words I don't understand. He can make insults sound like compliments. We finished showering and got back to my room.

I picked out a red dress. I had been waiting for a good opportunity to wear it, and this seemed the right time. The dress had a bare back and showed my amazing legs. Too bad the bruises from the accident had to ruin it. Dan saw the look on my face and he knew what I was thinking. "You are beautiful, even with the bruises." And he kissed me. We connected in a way I never thought possible. We just knew what was going on in each other's minds. "What are we going to do today?" I asked him. He looked sad. Why would he look sad? I looked at him and let my eyes tell him I didn't understand. "I have to go out of town for a few days. Something has come up and I need to get back home to take care of things. Please understand." I was just staring at him. I didn't understand, yet I had heard every word. Out of town. A few days. Take care of things? What things? And how long was a few days? I did anything but understand. I knew it. I knew this was too good to be true. He was going to leave town and never come back. I honestly thought he loved me. "Okay." I said in a small voice. He tried to kiss me but I turned away. He understood. "I am not leaving you forever, Kyra. I would take you with me if I could, but this is really personal and I don't want you involved. It's not safe." Not safe, my ass. What could be oh so dangerous I couldn't come with him? A drug dealer? The mafia? Whatever. "How long is a few days?" I asked softly but terrifying. "Three. After that I will be right back home with you. I promise." He might as well have said he was a pink unicorn. I would have believed it just as much. "And what is so dangerous, might I ask?" I said, starting to get really angry. "Right now I can't tell you. I promise to tell you, but not now, not while I haven't taken care of it. Please Kyra, understand. I can't live without you." I didn't look at him. I knew if I would I would fall into his eyes and not be able to tell truth from lie. I don't understand why he bothered to tell me in the first place. He could have just left this morning without saying anything. Boy, how a day can change in so little time. "You ask me to understand you have to leave town to deal with something dangerous I can't know about?" I spun around, yelling at him "You ask me to understand you are going away, back home? How am I going to be sure you will ever come back to me? How can I be sure you won't stay there?" By the end of my rant I was crying. I couldn't believe he was doing this. He just stared at me, I saw I had really hurt him, but right now I didn't care. I couldn't think clearly because of my fury. "Go then." I told him in an icy voice. He started to protest but he knew it was useless. It was the last thing I was going to say to him. He picked up his clothes and walked towards the door. It was hard for me not to start crying uncontrollably. At the door he took one last sad glance at me and then went away. I heard the door close downstairs.


	4. Chapter 4- PJ

How could I be so stupid? I actually thought he liked me. I let him kiss me. I had _sex_ with him. I was laying on my bed. My tears had been long gone, replaced by emptiness. I should have known. Nothing good ever happened to me. It had been three days since he left my house. Three days. This was the day he said he'd return to me. I bet he's still back in his home town, not caring about how I feel. I went downstairs to get me some breakfast. While I was pouring some milk on my cereal I thought about the red dress I was wearing three days ago. It used to look beautiful on me, but now it is nothing but a worn-out bathrobe to me. I am going to throw it out, I decided. The bruises on my legs had disappeared, but I had no one to show it to. I sat down at the table when I heard my phone buzzing. A message! The first one I'd had in days. When I saw who it was my heart sank. Dan. "Kyra. I hate not seeing you, please, come to the place we first met, let me explain. Wear your red dress." No. I am not giving in to him. One stupid message isn't going to get me to run right back into his arms. I slammed my phone on the table. I had lost my appetite , so I put my bowl of untouched cereal back in the kitchen. I sat down in the living room and turned on the tv. My mom was sitting next to me, reading a magazine like she always did. Great. Only commercials on tv. As I zapped to find something mildly entertaining, my mother laid down her magazine. This couldn't end well. She wanted to talk. Preparing myself, I muted the tv and turned to her. "Your father and I are worried about you." She said. "Ever since Dan left you have been a zombie. You don't eat, you barely sleep, and when you do you scream the entire night." Damn. I knew I kept on dreaming about Dan leaving me. I didn't know the rest of the house knew it too. "You should go out with your friends again. You haven't been out of the house in three days, go do something productive, get your mind of off things." I hated these kind of talks. My mom pretends to know how I feel and I pretend to listen and agree. "Okay mom. I'll go call Soumi or something." Soumi was the one person who would understand how I felt. She always does. Somehow she can always cheer me up. Why didn't I think of her earlier? I went upstairs and took my phone out of my pocket. 7 messages from Dan. Would he really care? No. He left me without explaining why. I deleted his messages without reading them. I called Soumi and she would come over the next day.

"I am so glad you are here." I said, hugging her. We sat down on my bed. She opened her bag and took out some chocolate. She knew me so well. I took the chocolate thankfully and broke off a piece. "Talk to me." She said. "Well, you know Dan left town but you don't know why yet. He told me had to take care of something dangerous or something, and I couldn't come with him." I told her, nibbling on my chocolate. "Did you ask him what was so dangerous?" she asked, taking a piece of chocolate as well. "Yes, but he told me he couldn't tell me until he had taken care of it. He didn't want me involved." I was staring at my hands. It felt good talking to someone about this. "Has he texted you? I know yesterday was the day he was supposed to come back." She said. "Yes, he has sent me 29 messages now, but I don't want to read them." I said, handing her my phone. I patiently waited until she was done reading. "It looks like he really cares for you, Kyra." She said. Oh god, not her as well. I had been hearing this for days now. I thought she'd be the one person to understand. Apparently my face told her what I thought. "He sent 29 messages in a day. A boy that doesn't want you wouldn't pay for that. Give him a chance. Go meet him somewhere public. At least he won't be able to do anything weird." As much as I hated to admit it, she was right. She always was. I was going to text him to meet me at the local mall. "Thanks Soumi, you always know what to say." I hugged her and she went back home again. I picked up my phone and open the last message he sent me. "Kyra please, I am dying here. Let me explain everything to you. Then you can decide whether you want to be with me or not. Xoxo Dan." I hit the reply button. "Meet me at the mall in front of the fountain in an hour."

I was wearing my red dress. I wanted to make him see what he was missing out on. I stood in front of the fountain, waiting for Dan. He was ten minutes late already. Was he going to turn up or was this some kind of lame joke to make me feel miserable? I stood up and walked towards a bench nearby. It was wet. It had rained yesterday. When I turned around, Dan was standing right in front of me. I hadn't heard him approach me. He was only two centimeters away from my face and he had scared me. I stumbled back, nearly falling over the wet bench. Dan caught my arm and set me on my feet again. "Watch it." He said. He was acting strangely. Secretive. "Don't sneak up on me like that then." I threw the words in his face, but I regretted it. "Sorry, that was rude." I said. I had really missed him these past few days. "You look great, Kyra. I have missed you." He said longingly. I wanted to say the same, but I had to remember I was mad at him. He had left me without explanation. That is what I was here for, nothing else. "Tell me, Dan." I said. "Can we do this somewhere a bit more private?" He said while looking around. Strange. It was like he was being followed. "No." I stated without hesitation. I remembered what Soumi had told me, somewhere public so he can't do anything weird. "Please Kyra, if anyone knows about this they will all be in danger. You don't want that do you?" I looked around. There were kids playing and grandmothers talking. I didn't want them to get hurt. "Fine," I said. "where?" "My apartment. I'll give you a ride." He had his driver's license already, and with this weather I would prefer a car.

He opened the door to his apartment. It was clean and tidy, but about as big as my bedroom at home. At least he didn't sell drugs. He would have been able to afford a bigger place. "So?" I asked him. "You have to understand it still won't be safe to tell you this." "You promised me." I wasn't going to waste my time here. It was now or never. "Okay." He said. "A few years ago I met PJ. He was a great friend of mine until his girlfriend left him for me. I turned her down but PJ was mad. He was so mad he kept on ruining everything in my life. It is the reason I moved here. To get away from him." He said. I started thinking. In the hospital he had told me PJ was his friend, and he missed him. "But in the hospital…" "I know, I said he was my friend to protect you." Protect me? "Why would you need to protect me from him?" I asked as if he was making a joke. "Because he has been harassing every girl I have ever liked. I never dared to get close to a girl ever since, but once I saw you I couldn't help myself." I didn't hear his last sentence. I felt numb. There was a guy out there that wants to harm me. I stared at Dan. I forgave him right on the spot. I kissed him.


	5. Chapter 5- moving in together

I had called my parents I was sleeping at a friend's house, but that wasn't true. When I woke up I saw Dan was making breakfast. He had a tiny bed, but we managed to sleep in it. I got up and got dressed. My hair was a disaster, but right now I didn't care. I was so happy I was with Dan again. It was like he had never left. Dan was making some French toast and eggs. I kissed him good morning and went to the bathroom. I didn't have any of my make-up here, so I had to go all natural. I washed my face and fixed my hair. Thank god I was one of those people that didn't need tons of foundation to look good. All I needed was some eyeliner. Mascara was useless, I already had beautifully long eyelashes. I texted Soumi. It was all thanks to her I let Dan explain himself. I went back to the kitchen and ate my breakfast. I had missed this so much. I was starting to feel guilty for getting mad at Dan a few days ago, it all seemed so silly now. "Dan, I am really sorry for getting mad at you, it was stupid." I said, too ashamed of myself to look him in the eyes. "You had every right to be, I left without explaining why. I would have been mad myself." He smiled. God, I had missed that hypnotizing smile so much. I kissed him, not caring how my breath smelled. At first it was a kiss. Just a kiss. But we got fired up and it began getting more passionate. We got off of our chairs and I swung my arms around his neck. He lifted me up, like had happened in the hospital, and put me down on the couch, never breaking the kiss. He laid down on top of me, just like our very first time.

Dan and I wondered the streets. Dan had told me that as long as I was with him, PJ couldn't touch me. He had also explained why he had to go home for three days. PJ didn't know he had moved, and he needed to keep up the act that he still lived in London. I felt safe with Dan next to me. It felt natural. My parents didn't understand why I had gone back to him. They had heard me complain about him for days when I was still mad at him. Dan had been sleeping over at my house for days now, and occasionally I went to his apartment. In the beginning I was still scared PJ might turn up, but after two weeks, I had almost forgotten him. Dan and I were always together. He was just so overprotective that he didn't want to be away from me, scared that PJ might turn up. I had been trying for days now to get him to relax, and tell him PJ wasn't going to come, but he wouldn't calm down. He was always looking over his shoulder when we were outside. "Dan, relax, PJ isn't here. If he was, you'd know." I assured him. I wouldn't give up trying to get him to relax. He was so tense these days, it was starting to get annoying. "You don't know what he's capable of." He said to me, looking over his shoulder again. He was right. I didn't. "And I'm not going to find out, because he isn't here, Dan. Please, relax. You are so tense nowadays, you are being distant." He did have his arm around me, but I knew he wasn't thinking about me. His mind was occupied with only PJ. "Don't you see what he's doing to you? Even with him not here? He's making you go crazy, Dan." He looked at me in surprise, like he just noticed I was there. "You're right. I guess he really isn't going to show up." Dan said. I felt him relax a little. He wasn't there yet, but this was a start. He pulled me closer to him, and I could feel the warmth from his body. It was nice, since it was cold outside. We have been dating for three months now. Time went by so fast. When we were dating for a month, he had organized a romantic dinner at his house. I looked at my hand. He had bought me a beautiful ring which I had been wearing every day since he had given it to me. "Where are we going?" I asked him. We had been walking for about an hour now. "Just wait and see." He said with a smile on his face. The rest of the trip we walked in silence. It wasn't an awkward silence, but a silence that screamed we loved each other. "Here we are." He said, startling me with the sudden amount of sound. I looked up.

We were at a beautiful beach. A little further ahead was a table with candles on it. It was such a beautiful sight it took my breath away. I felt Dan staring at my face as I was looking at the table in awe. "You must be hungry, let's sit down and eat." He said. Coming to think of it, I was hungry. Still not saying a word I let him guide me to the table. I sat down and Dan took some blankets out of the bag that was standing next to the table. He wrapped them around me. "Well, what do you think?" he asked while sitting down. I was still amazed but I managed to get out a few words. "I… this is amazing!" he smiled at the look on my face. "But, what's the occasion?" I asked. I was sure we weren't dating for a specific amount of time today, so I didn't know why he was doing this. "I wanted to ask you to come live with me." He said. Wow. This was serious. I immediately knew I wanted to live with him, no hesitation. "I really want to, Dan, but I'm not sure my parents will have the same view. We'd have to ask them." I said. I saw that he already knew this wasn't going to be easy, but he wanted to fight for me. And I wanted to fight for him. I had never had such strong feelings for anyone before. "I know." He said in a serious voice. There was a guy walking towards us. He had a plate with something on it. When I saw what it was I was happy. Brownies. I loved brownies. Dan always seemed to know everything I liked eat and do. I ate in silence. I was trying to find the best way to tell my parents I wanted to live with him. When I was finished I came to the conclusion there was no right way to do this. We just had to hope they wouldn't be too stubborn. I stared Dan in the eyes and he knew it too. We had to tell them today.

I was sitting on the couch at home, Dan next to me holding my hand. I was nervous, but Dan's presence calmed me down a little. My parents were sitting opposite of us. They glanced at each other for a brief second. Worry crossed their face. They probably thought I was pregnant or something, they always jumped to conclusions. "Mom, dad," I started. It was now or never. "I want to live with Dan. He asked me to." I said. There. It was out. All we could do now was wait for their reaction. I saw my parents trying to process what they had just heard. They looked at each other and back at me and Dan. I squeezed Dan's hand, I couldn't help it, I was nervous. If they said no, I would have to live in this house. there was nothing for me here, all I wanted was Dan. If they said yes, Dan would finally relax a little, knowing I wouldn't be home alone anymore. A lot depended on their answer. "We have made up our mind." They said. This was it. I would know if I could live with Dan. "You can live with him, under one condition. You need to sleep here at least once every two weeks." Okay, I could live with that. I looked at Dan, I could see he was happy, too. We could live together. Finally. I was excited. I went upstairs and started packing my things.

"There, that was the last box." I said. Dan and I had to buy a new closet, a bigger one. Most of my stuff was still at home, it wouldn't fit in his small apartment anyway. I decided I would get a job to help pay the rent, I didn't want him to pay it on his own. "Finally." He said, hugging me. If anything would feel like home, it were his arms. He released me and picked up one of the boxes to put the insides in the closet. I did the same. I had only taken some of my clothes with me, if I needed more I could go get it anyway. When we were done unpacking my stuff we sat down on his couch. Our couch. I looked around the apartment. It was nice. He had flowers in both of the windows, one with red roses, the other with lilies. He owned a tv, it wasn't big, but it was fine. We didn't need fancy stuff. I saw the stack of horror movies next to it. I'd probably have to sit through all of them, but I didn't mind. This is when I noticed something behind the tv, something small and black. "Dan, what is that thing behind the tv?" I asked. "What?" I had interrupted his thoughts and he hadn't heard me. "Behind the tv, what is that?" I asked again. He looked surprised, like he didn't know what I was talking about. It was his apartment so he must know, right? "I… I don't know." He went over to look what it was and his face went blank. "Dan? Dan, what is it?" I asked. I was worried. It looked like Dan was reliving something awful. He turned around slowly, his face still blank, not readable for me. "Dan?" "PJ is here." He said distantly.


	6. Chapter 6- spending time with me

"What are you talking about? Dan, what is that?" I was looking at the thing he was holding in his hand, and suddenly I knew what it was. "A camera? How did…" "He knows you are here." His face was still blank. It felt like he didn't even notice I was talking to him. "You have to get out of here. He can enter my apartment. He won't hurt me, but if you're here… I'm not sure what he'd do to you." He said. He was scaring me. I had just moved here, and now I had to get out? How did PJ get into his apartment anyway? "No Dan, I'm not leaving."Dan ignored me and started packing my things again. "Dan, stop it. I won't go. I just got here." I said desperately. "Don't you understand?! You need to get out of here, it's not safe!" he was yelling at me. For the first time he was yelling at me. He took me completely by surprise, and I couldn't help my tears from falling. When he realized he had hurt me, he reached out to hug me. "Don't." I said quietly. I picked up my boxes and went out the door without looking back at who I was leaving behind. He didn't want me here. Fine. I wouldn't be there.

I walked home. My house wasn't far from Dan's, and I didn't want to ask him for a ride. He begged me to let him go with me, but I ignored him, right now I didn't care about my safety. PJ couldn't be as bad as Dan said he was. I had had self defense classes anyway, so PJ couldn't harm me. I entered a narrow alley. I was nearly home. I saw someone standing in the middle of the alley, probably one of those smokers. No one ever comes here, so this was their favorite spot. As I got closer to the person, he started moving, blocking my way. I slowed my pace suspiciously. I kept on walking, hoping he would move, but he didn't. I didn't like this, so I turned around only to find someone else blocking the way. I dropped my boxes, ready to use my jiujutsu skills when necessary. They closed in on me. The one in front of me had curly brown hair and was wearing a leather jacket. If he wouldn't be so terrifying I would have thought he looked good. God I wished Dan was here. I wished I had taken his offer to give me a ride home. The one behind me grabbed me by my arms and roughly pushed me against the wall. It hurt. I felt the bricks scraping my elbows and back. I was wearing the red dress again, too much bare skin for such a situation. I really had to throw it out, only bad things happened whenever I was wearing it. The guy with the leather jacket came over and put his hands on either side of me, blocking my only ways of escape. "Hey there, sweet cheeks. You really are as beautiful as they say." He said. "Who…" then it hit me. I knew who this was. "PJ."

"She knows who I am." He said to his friend mockingly. "Dan must've told you all about me, I'm flattered." His voice got fiercer while finishing his sentence. I didn't dare move, I saw PJ had a knife. "Why are you here?" I asked him, trying not to sound scared and failing miserably. "To spend more time with you, of course!" he said. He scared me to death. I was terrified I wouldn't be walking out of this alley alive. "You are different from the usual girls he dates. I like it." He studied me, and I was disgusted. How could he do this over one girl that had left him? It wasn't even Dan's fault. He even turned her down. His finger contoured my face, and I turned my head. "Wrong move." He said. He grabbed me by the throat. I couldn't breathe and I started panicking. Just when I thought I would pass out, he released me. I fell to the ground and it felt like I was coughing up my lungs. PJ took out his knife and made a small cut on my right leg. "Something to remember me by." He said. "And, don't tell Dan about this, I like playing a game with him. I'll know if you tell him or try to warn him, and I know where you live. You wouldn't want your dear parents involved, do you?" at that he left, and I was in that alley alone, trying to catch my breath.

I left my boxes with clothes in the alley and ran back to Dan's apartment. I never should have gone out there alone. My leg was bleeding, and I turned some heads, which wasn't weird considering I was a mess. Once I was there I ran inside. "Dan?" I called, crying. I wanted to tell him what had happened. I heard the bathroom door open. "Kyra? What happened to you?" he saw the cut on my leg and that I was crying. "What happened? Tell me." "I..." I nearly told him it was PJ, until I remembered what he had said. If I told Dan, my parents would get hurt. "There was a guy in the alley and he wanted my money. When I said I didn't have any he took out his knife and cut me." I hated lying to him, but I would do anything to protect my family. "Why is your neck so red?" I had forgotten about that. "He tried to choke me, but something startled him and he ran off." I never knew I could be such a convincing liar. I didn't want to be, but now it came in handy. "Did you see his face? Would you be able to identify him?" I couldn't believe I was actually playing PJ's game. I was a puppet in his hands. "No, he was wearing a hoodie." I was about to collapse out of pure tiredness. Everything had turned ugly so fast. Dan apparently saw that. "Come on, let's get that cut cleaned up." He carried me to the bathroom. I was perfectly capable of walking, but I didn't want to. All I wanted to do was go to sleep. Dan cleaned up my wound and put me down on the couch. I fell asleep instantly.

Voices woke me up. I didn't open my eyes knowing I had to talk to people if I did, and I didn't want to. "Will she be okay?" I heard a deep male voice say. Probably an officer. "Yeah, she'll be fine. She is a strong girl, she can handle this." It was nice to hear Dan's voice. I heard the door close and I opened my eyes. I sat up straight and Dan came to sit next to me. "I didn't know you were up. How are you?" Dan didn't need to know how terrified I was. "Much better." I said with a sleepy voice. I kissed him passionately. I didn't want to leave him ever again. He made me feel like I could take on the world. I saw the boxes I had left in the alley standing beside the closet. "I guess we have to unpack them again."I said. "You want to stay?" I wondered why he asked me that. Of course I wanted to stay. Then I remembered why I left the house in the first place. "Yes, I want to stay." He kissed me. I felt the relief he felt, he must have thought I still wanted to go home. After what happened in that alley, I wanted to stay with Dan, I wanted to be safe.

The next few days went by without any appearances from PJ. This was probably because Dan was with me all the time, and I knew PJ didn't want Dan to know he was here. My parents had changed their condition of me living with Dan. They didn't like it I was with him this much. I had to sleep at home without him once a week. I was fine with this, but Dan had his doubts. He wanted to make sure I was safe, and when I was home he couldn't do that. My parents worked a lot, so they didn't sleep at home. I was scared PJ would show up. He had gotten into Dan's apartment without a key, my house shouldn't be a problem. In the next three weeks he never showed though, so I started feeling safe again. Dan and I did fun things together and he kept on surprising me with gifts. He was so sweet. He made me forget all about PJ. I had to sleep at home again today. Dan had taken me to the movies, but we only had eye for each other. I was brushing my teeth while deep in thought. We were going to the zoo tomorrow. I was wondering if they'd have penguins while walking to my room. I turned off the lights and laid down in bed. I was excited for tomorrow. I fell asleep quickly. In my dream I was at the zoo, and PJ was there, just staring at me. I saw the knife in his hand. Once again I felt his hands on my throat and I couldn't breathe. I woke up to the sound of my bedroom door opening.


	7. Chapter 7- stare at my reflection

"Dan, is that you?" my parents weren't home, and besides them Dan was the only one with the key. Judging by the darkness in my room it was about 5 am. The person who entered closed the door and it was pitch black in my room. I was scared. "Dan?" I asked again. It couldn't be Dan. There was more than one person in this room. I suddenly felt someone grab my wrists and pin me down. I started to scream but someone put his hand over my mouth. "Don't scream. You know what happens when you don't obey." I recognized the voice. It was PJ. I remembered how he had nearly choked me in the alley and I stopped struggling. The hand over my mouth disappeared, but my wrists remained locked above me. "PJ." I said. I couldn't believe this was happening, just when I started to feel safe again. "You still remember me, I'm glad." He said in an icy voice. "You did well, lying to Dan I mean. I never thought you had it in you. I'm proud." He must know how much I hated lying to Dan, and he wanted me to feel bad about myself, even worse than I already did. "What are you doing here? I'm not playing your little game anymore." I said, trying to sound tough. "Oh, I think you are. You remember how I got into Dan's apartment, right? You don't want him to get hurt." He knew I would do anything for Dan. "No! Don't hurt Dan! Stay away from him!" I shouted. As soon as I did it I knew I had made a mistake. The hand covered my mouth again, and I saw something shiny. The knife. PJ lifted my shirt and made a small cut on my side. It was deeper than the one on my leg, and it was going to leave a scar. I screamed but the hand muffled the sound. "I am sorry I have to do this to you. You are too beautiful for scars, but I need to think of the bigger picture. At some point you will break and you will leave Dan to return to your safe little life. I'll visit you then, and maybe we could go out on a date." Tears trickled down my face. God I hated PJ. I would not leave Dan. I was not going to do what PJ wanted me to do. And I was certainly never going to date him. My door opened again and my wrists were released. I saw two people leave my room, and one remained in the doorway. Probably PJ. "Remember, Dan cant know or I'll pay him a little visit as well." He said while looking at his knife. "And I will take your house key, I hope you don't mind. It will be easier to spend more time with you that way." At that he closed the door and I was left in my room, bleeding.

I got out of bed and went to the bathroom. I was still crying, and I didn't think I'd stop anytime soon. I took out the first aid kit and cleaned up my cut. I put on some bandages, hoping it would stop bleeding. How had I gotten into this mess? PJ always managed to attack when I was feeling safe. Dan was going to notice this cut. What would I tell him? The truth wasn't an option, I wouldn't be the reason he'd get hurt. I guess I would have to hope it would be healed enough to tell him it was an accident when he sees it. I looked in the mirror. I was a mess, my hair was everywhere and my eyes were all red from the tears. I have to go through the day at the zoo without Dan noticing I was terrified PJ would turn up when I least expected it. I didn't think I would be able to pull it off, but I had to. If Dan even suspected in the slightest that I was scared, he would know PJ was here tormenting me. He couldn't know. I got back to my room and turned on the lights. I'd have to throw out my sheets, there was blood all over it. I stripped my bed from my sheets and went downstairs. I went to the backdoor and noticed it was wide open. I must have forgotten to lock it. That must be how PJ got in, he was just waiting for a chance, a mistake on my part. And that mistake was horrible. He had the key now, he could get in whenever he wanted to. I threw the sheets in the trash and went back inside, not bothering to lock the door behind me.

Dan picked me up at home and we drove to the zoo. He kept on talking about how he thought PJ was here, but that it had been weeks since we found the camera. He thought PJ would finally leave him alone. It was so hard not to tell him. My side still hurt a lot, but it had stopped bleeding. All I could think about was next week, when I had to sleep at home again. What did set me slightly at ease was that my mother would be home. Maybe PJ wouldn't risk it. I decided I had to get him out of my head, so I focused my attention on Dan. He was talking to me about his job, but I didn't hear a word he said. I just smiled and agreed. He was cute talking so passionately about something. He must love his job, I thought. We parked the car and went to get a ticket. Vacation was nearly over. I had to go to school in two weeks, and quite frankly I didn't mind. I could get my mind off of things there. We bought our tickets and entered. Is was cold outside, so the animals would be inside. We walked hand in hand and laughed at some penguins. The whole day was a blur, all I could think about was when PJ would show up, ruining my day. I didn't even dare go to the toilet while we were at the zoo. I knew PJ was waiting for another chance to get to me. The week went by too fast. Before I knew it I was back in my room, waiting for PJ to come in. My mom was home, and at first I thought it might scare PJ. Now I realized this was in his advantage. He would hurt her if I did anything he didn't want me to do. I had the lights turned on this time. I wanted to be able to see if someone was about to grab my wrists, I didn't want to be surprised again. PJ always had someone else with him. This made him seem untouchable. I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth. I closed the door behind me and turned on the lights. While I was brushing I looked in the mirror. I lifted my shirt. My cut had healed for the most part. It could have been caused by anything now. Just when I wanted to lower my shirt again, the lights turned off. Great. There was a storm outside, the power must have cut out. I continued brushing my teeth. When I was done I put my toothbrush back into the cup and the lights turned on. I looked in the mirror. PJ was behind me.


	8. Chapter 8- into the hospital again

I didn't dare move. I knew he had his knife with him, it was his favorite 'toy'. He had half a smile on his face. He enjoyed my terror. He was alone this time. Somehow that made it even more terrifying. "Get out." I said in a low voice. "Well that's not nice, I just got here! I was only going to tell you that I needed you to do something for me." This couldn't be good. "Was?" I asked, scared for his answer. "Yes, was. See, you keep on doing the wrong thing. You need to learn to like me. I only do bad things to you when you are rude or don't do as you're told." While he said that he lifted my shirt to check out my scar. "Sorry about that." He seemed to mean it. "Let's go to your room." He pushed me towards the door. I didn't like being told what to do, but I couldn't afford my mom knowing about this. I went to my room, PJ following me. He pushed me onto my bed and closed the door. I crawled onto my bed and curled into a ball. I didn't know what he was going to do, and I was scared to find out. He sat next to me, and I was waiting for his knife to come out. PJ reached for his pocket, and I closed my eyes waiting for the pain. "Here." He said, and I opened my eyes in surprise. In his hand he held a small cup. "Put this on your scar, it will disappear faster." I didn't understand what he was saying. He had put that scar there, and now he wanted it gone? "What…" I said. "Just take it before I change my mind." He said fiercely. I took the cup and looked at him questioningly. "I… I don't want Dan to know yet." He said. I heard the hesitation in his voice and I knew he was lying. I didn't tell him I knew though, scared he might take out his knife anyway. I put the crème on my scar. PJ was pacing around in my room. I was hoping he had forgotten what I needed to do for him, but he hadn't. "You have to get into the hospital again." he said. I didn't understand. "How would I get into the hospital? I am not hurt." Then I understood. I wasn't hurt _yet_. He pulled out his knife and I froze. "I don't want to do this, but I have to." He said. He grabbed me by the arm and guided me out of my room. He let go of me when I was in front of the stairs. Looking down, I knew what was going to happen. "Please… don't make me." I pleaded, but he didn't listen. He pushed me. I fell down and gasped for air when I hit the floor. The last thing I saw before passing out was PJ's face. He looked sad.

I woke up to the familiar white ceiling. It hurt to open my eyes. What had happened? I tried to get up, but it hurt too much. I groaned in pain. I looked around. Dan was sleeping with his head on my bed. Was I hit by another car? I tried to remember what had happened but I couldn't. Maybe Dan knew. I tried to lift my arm to poke his head, but my arm didn't move. Why didn't my arm move? I was looking at it like it was not mine. This was so weird. Then reality set in. My arm didn't move! I tried to move it again but it didn't work. I didn't understand and I started to panic. "Dan. Dan, I can't move my arm. Dan, what happened yesterday?" Dan shot up and looked at me. He just looked. Then he understood what was going on. "Kyra! Finally, you're awake! You don't remember what happened?"he stood up and gave me a kiss. I flinched at the pain that shot through my body. "Sorry."Dan said. "You really don't remember? A few days ago you got out of bed at night, probably to go to the toilet, and you tripped and fell down the stairs." God, all I remember was hitting the floor. "Wait. A few days ago? How long?" I thought this had all happened yesterday. "Four days. You were injured badly, Kyra. The doctors said you might have temporary paralysis and memory loss. That last part is true, apparently." He said. "Well, the first part is true, too. I just tried to lift my arm, but it wouldn't. I am scared Dan." What if it wasn't temporary, what if my memory wouldn't return? "Kyra? Can I ask you something?" he said while shifting uneasily. "Uh, sure." I said, uncertain of what he wanted to ask. "This… was this PJ's doing?" there was something important about that name. Dan couldn't know about him. I decided to use my current condition to stop him from asking more questions about him. "PJ? Who is PJ?" I asked him, pretending to think really hard. "Never mind, don't break your brain over it." He said, laughing at my face.

I dreamt weird that night. I dreamt that I didn't fall down the stairs, but was pushed by some boy with curly hair and a sad look on his face. When I woke up, the nurse was in my room. I noticed Dan wasn't there. He was probably getting some food or something. I had to undergo a few tests and then the nurse left. I was thinking about the dream. It had seemed so real, it felt like a memory. And that boy, he looked familiar. Oh well, it was probably nothing, just my imagination. Dan entered the room with some soup. I couldn't lift my arms, so he had to feed me. "Did you have a nightmare or something? You kept on saying 'don't make me'." I had said that in my dream right before the boy pushed me. "More or less. Tell me about this PJ, what does he look like? And why would you think he'd have done this to me?" I said. I had a hunch that the boy in my dream and PJ were connected in some way. "He, uh, he has curly brown hair and usually wears a leather jacket. He has green-blue eyes. If you ever see him, I need you to turn around and run. That's all you need to know for now. The doctors said you only had temporary memory loss, so you will remember why soon enough." Crap. The boy in my dream _was_ PJ. I remembered everything now. PJ had shown up while I was brushing my teeth and ordered me to my room. There he gave me a crème for my scar, which he had put there, and then he pushed me down the stairs. What I still didn't understand was why he looked sad. The next couple of weeks were painful, and Dan was with me all the time. The nurse ordered him to go home, and I agreed. He didn't have to stay here all the time, I would get out of here in a week. Dan went home reluctantly, and I was alone. I didn't mind. Having someone take care of you every minute was exhausting. I was watching tv when I heard someone enter. I was about to say that Dan had to go home when I saw who it was. PJ was casually leaning against the door. "What are you doing here? I don't want you here." If my arms weren't paralyzed I would punch him square in the face. "I wanted to apologize, and thank you." Thank me? What for? "Apologize? You… you could have killed me. Do you know what I had to go through these past few weeks? I am paralyzed, and for a while I couldn't even remember what had happened, and you expect me to accept your apology? And thank me for what?" I was furious. "I don't expect you to accept it, I want you to know that I really am sorry. And I wanted to thank you for keeping Dan here for a while. I was able to put up more camera's in his apartment. I also put a few in your house, just to be sure I record everything." He said."Why would you want to record everything?" I asked. "You'll see." He said. He went over to my bed and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Get well, and I will see you soon." He said, and he left.

At the end of the week I was able to move my hand. Not my entire arm yet, but this was progress. I was allowed to go home, as long as I visited the doctor once a week until I was able to fully move my arms again. My parents made me stay in their house, so they could take care of me, but that was only for the weekend, they had to work again. I did stay in their house, but Dan moved in with me to take care of me. It was so annoying not to be able to move my arms, it made me appreciate the simple thing called movement. Dan kept me busy for the week. We watched countless movies, played tons of games and he did exercises with me to try and get my arm to move. He was so caring and loving. I loved him so much for that. By the end of the week I had to go to the doctor again. He told me that next week I would highly likely be able to move my arms again, and I went home being as happy as ever.

"I have to sleep in my own apartment tonight, I need to take care of my flowers and clean the place." Dan said. I didn't mind, I could take care of myself for one night, how hard could it be? "As long as you are back in the morning to help me shower." I told him. He gave me a kiss. "I promise." He said. I watched him go and I laid down in bed. Dan had helped me get into my pajamas and brush my teeth, so I was ready for bed. I was really excited for next week. I'd be able to move my arms again. I was too excited to be able to sleep. I kept on thinking about all the things I could be able to do by myself again. Going to the toilet was really awkward with Dan there, it is just one of those things I didn't want him to see. But I had no choice, there was no one else to help me. My thoughts were interrupted by a sound of a door opening downstairs. Dan must've forgotten something. I heard him coming up the stairs and I got out of bed to ask what he had forgotten. When I was in the door opening, I saw who was coming up the stairs.


	9. Chapter 9- becoming a thief

I slowly backed up, seeing PJ walking towards me like a lion stalking its prey. "What do you want?" I asked, the horror clearly showing in my voice. "You know I love it when you are scared. It makes it much more exciting for me. And I am here to have some quality time with you again, I wouldn't want you to forget me." There was nowhere for me to go anymore. I was against the wall and PJ was right in front of me. He enjoyed the terror in my eyes, I could see it. I couldn't help a tear from falling. "Don't cry. I am not going to scar you again, at least not in a way that can be seen from the outside." He gently pushed me towards the bed and I laid down, not knowing what he wanted me to do. All I knew is that if I didn't let him do what he wanted, I would end up at the bottom of those stairs again. "Don't move." He said. He started to take off my pajamas. "You… no. You can't do this! Get off of me!" I tried to turn to get him to fall off of me, but his weight was too much. I was trapped. I couldn't use my arms to push him off and he knew it. He laid my arms above my head and sat on my legs. I was terrified. I was laying there in just my underwear and he was studying me. I started crying. "What did I ever do to you to deserve this?" I said through my tears. He just stared at me. "You made me love you." He said. He started unbuckling his belt.

I couldn't believe what had just happened. It was as if I was watching from a distance. I was still on the bed, feeling numb, empty, tears not falling anymore. PJ was putting on his clothes again. "Remember those camera's I had placed here? It has all been recorded. Dan will see it eventually." He said. It felt as if my world just crumbled to pieces. How could he do this to me? I couldn't do anything but look at him with my empty eyes. I saw sympathy looking back at me. I didn't understand why he felt that way, he was the one who had done this to me. He couldn't feel sympathy, he enjoyed what he had done. He didn't feel sorry for me. For all I know he'd do it again. "You will steal money from him and give it to me. If you do not, there will be consequences. If you do not steal enough, well… I'll find a way to get it myself." I couldn't say anything. I was just waiting for all of this to be over. For him to leave. He walked over to me and put a hand on my leg. I flinched at the touch, scared he might start all over again, but he pulled back instantly. "I do not like doing this to you, if that is what you think. But you are the first girlfriend who has been able to take my tormenting for this long. The others broke up with Dan after the first time I visited them. There must be a way to get you to break up with him. I only have one more thing in mind, and that will get him to break up with you just to put you out of your misery." I didn't even want to think about what that might be. He grabbed my pajamas and put them on me. He knew Dan would start asking questions if he saw me out of my pajamas. He got up and left me. Left me in my room, too numb and empty to get up.

I couldn't sleep anymore, and I waited for the night to end and for Dan to come and take care of me. It seemed to take forever, but eventually the sun had risen and I got up. It had not sunken in yet what had happened, and I hoped it wouldn't when Dan was here. It was still 6 a.m., so Dan wouldn't be here for two more hours. I went downstairs and sat down on the couch, trying not to think about what had happened. Time flew by and soon I heard the front door opening. I was trying to get some emotion into my eyes, but I didn't think it was working. When Dan saw me I immediately knew he was worried. "I had a nightmare." I told him. I saw most of the worry fade, but I knew he didn't trust it completely. He helped me shower. It felt good, washing PJ off of me. I closed my eyes, enjoying the warm water, but images flashed through my mind. My eyes flew open, terrified of the person touching me. "It was just a nightmare." Dan told me, hugging me. I was shaking all over, suddenly the warm water felt like ice.

The next week went right by me. The only thing that got my mind off of what PJ had done, was that I could move my arms again. During one of my exercises with Dan, I could finally lift a cup. Dan was ecstatic, and I was happy he wouldn't have to be around me 24/7 anymore. Normally I would love all the attention I got from him, but right now all I wanted was some time alone with my thoughts. PJ hadn't given me a deadline on when I needed the money and he didn't say how much I needed to give to him. I had to figure out how I would get Dan's money and how much I had to steal. And above all, how I would get it without him noticing. I visited the doctor and he told me I didn't have to come anymore. I was relieved, because that meant I could stay home without Dan there. I told him he could go home with some lame excuse I made up right on the spot and went to my room. I sat down on my bed and started thinking. I decided I would need to steal 10 euro's from Dan. That would be enough for the first time, right? An idea flashed across my mind. I didn't need to steal the money, I could give PJ my own! After that I fell asleep quickly. I wasn't worried anymore, I didn't have to steal from Dan.

The next few weeks flew by. I had expected PJ to visit me, but he didn't. Dan and I had done loads of fun stuff together, celebrating the fact that I could use my arms again. He had given me the most beautiful necklace I had ever seen for our 6 month anniversary. He was so sweet. And he didn't have to worry about PJ. Dan still thought PJ had left him alone. I wish I could say the same. It was Saturday night, and I had to sleep in my parents' house tonight. Dan was at home, he had begun working again, and he had a nightshift. I was trying to fall asleep, but I had some trouble in doing so. I couldn't shake the feeling of someone watching me. I walked over to the open window. It was way too cold in my room, it wasn't comfortable. When I looked outside, I saw a guy standing there. At first I thought it was PJ, but this guy wasn't as tall, and he didn't have the curls PJ had. I closed my window and the curtains quickly. I was sure the guy outside my window was staring at me. Somehow I recognized him. I went back to bed, vaguely trying to remember where I had seen this guy before. In my dream I was back in the alley, my way being blocked by someone. I didn't know his name, but I was sure it was the same guy that was outside my window.

I woke up to Dan coming to bed. He was going to sleep, but I was getting out of bed. It was 9 a.m. and I was hungry. While I was eating my cereal I was thinking about the guy I had seen that night. Why was he outside my window? Maybe he'd be here tonight. If he was, I was going to ask him what he wanted of me. The rest of the day was quiet. I was allowed to go to school tomorrow. School had begun three weeks ago, but because of my "accident" I wasn't able to go. I just sat at home the entire day, watching tv and reading some books. It started getting dark. I was so surprised by how the days flew past nowadays. I got ready for bed. When I was done I walked over to the window and peeked out. He was there again. I quickly went downstairs, but when I was at the door I got thinking. Would this be a smart thing to do? He had helped PJ get to me. I decided to take a pocketknife with me and I went outside. The guy was still standing right where I saw him. I could see his features more clearly now, and I remembered him. He had the same hair as Dan. I walked over to him. "What are you…" I was in the middle of my sentence but he interrupted me. "I don't have much time, you have to listen to me. What PJ is about to do to you, you can't even imagine. Please, just give him the money. He knows you haven't stolen from Dan yet, and that you are going to give him your own money." Shit, I had forgotten about the cameras. "What is PJ going to do? Kill me? Rape me again?" I was starting to get angry, but judging by the look on his face he didn't know PJ had done that. "He… he raped you? I swear, Kyra, he told me he was only going to visit you once or twice, otherwise I would never have helped him." Like it wasn't bad he helped PJ in the first place. "Who are you anyway?" "Phil. But I need to go now, if PJ finds out I was ever here… you know what he is capable of." I gave him a look of understanding and watched him run off.

I slammed my alarm clock to turn it off. Today is a school day! Finally, I had really missed my friends. I was getting dressed when I saw a small envelope on my nightstand. It said "Kyra, I will tell you more at school. Be in the girls bathroom, last period. P." great, I could use some explanation. Maybe Phil could tell me how much money I needed to get before… I didn't want to think about what PJ might do. I ran downstairs. I had taken too long to get dressed, and I had to be at school in 5 minutes. I skipped breakfast and ran out the door. I knew I wasn't going to be on time, but every muscle in my body urged me to run for it. I ran and ran until I finally saw the school building. 1 minute left, I had made it. I ran into chemistry and sat down, out of breath. The day never seemed to end. All I could think about was the explanation Phil would give me today. When finally my last hour had ended, I went to the vacant bathroom. I knew Phil wanted to meet here, it was the only bathroom no one ever used or cleaned, so we could talk without being interrupted. I entered, immediately disturbed by the horrible smell. As I analyzed the bathroom I noticed no one was here. I checked all the stalls, making sure there was no one there. I waited for about half an hour, but then I left. The entire school was empty, apart from some cleaners. It was already dark outside. Last period ended at five, do it was already getting dark outside. I walked over to my bike and got on. It was weird Phil hadn't turned up. I was slightly worried about him, afraid PJ might have found out he went to my house. I entered a small tunnel. Just as I was at the exit I felt someone pull me off of my bike. I was disoriented for a moment before I got up and looked around.


	10. Chapter 10- The money

Phil was standing there. "Sorry I had to do that. I thought PJ might have seen the note I left you, so I thought it would be better to talk somewhere else." He was right. Who knows, maybe PJ had bugged the bathroom. I wouldn't want anything to happen to Phil, even though he had helped PJ. He was now helping me. "It's fine. Please, explain to me what PJ wants. How much money does he want and when does he want it?" I asked while brushing the dirt off of my jeans. "He wants 50. Tomorrow." "What?! How does he expect me to get that without Dan noticing?" I couldn't get that much money, not without Dan noticing. I didn't even know if he had that much in his wallet. "I know. I'm sorry, but that is all I can do for you." He said and he turned around and disappeared around a corner.

I sneaked into Dan's apartment. He wasn't home, but I still didn't want to make a noise. I went to his bag and took out his wallet. Shit. Just a 20. I took the money and sat down, just looking at the piece of paper that was supposed to keep me safe. How was I going to get more money from him? PJ would know if I gave him my own. An idea popped into my mind as Dan walked into the room. He came over to me and kissed me. "Hey Dan, can I ask you something?" I saw the puzzled look on his face. "Sure." He said. "Can I… can I borrow some money?" I hated having to ask him for things. "Why?" he asked. I needed to come up with an excuse. "I ran out of money buying a birthday present for a friend and there is a bag I really want to buy, preferably while it is still on sale." I hope he didn't hear the fear in my voice. "Okay, how much do you need?" I stared at my hands. I really didn't want to do this. "Fifty. If it is too much it's okay, I'll just wait for my allowance." I hid the twenty I already had under the couch. Dan walked over to his he had taken to work and took out a 50. "Thanks Dan, I promise I will pay you back." "It's okay, consider it a gift from me." he kissed my forehead and went to the bathroom to take a shower. I quickly grabbed the money from under the couch and put it back in his wallet. I wrote a note saying I was going to sleep at home because my parents wouldn't be home and they wanted me to do some chores. I went out the door, into the rain.

I woke up before my alarm went off. Something didn't feel quite right. I got out of bed and noticed that my door was open. I was sure I had closed it the night before. I knew what this meant. Phil had said PJ would want the money today. I put on a bathrobe and went downstairs with the money clamped in my hand. I saw him sitting in the kitchen, brutal as he was, eating my cereal. He looked up as I stared at him, too scared to move but determined not to show my fear. He shoved another spoon in his mouth before standing up and walking over to me. He stood before me, and I saw the look in his eyes. He had had it before, the night he… I didn't want to think about it. He surely wasn't going to do it again, right? He took another step towards me and I took one away from him. "Aww, you aren't scared of me, are you?" another step forward on his part, one back on mine. He was closer than I was comfortable with so I took a few extra, but there was a wall blocking my way. I pressed myself against it as if I was trying to get it to move, but it wouldn't budge. He casually walked over to me, and I couldn't help but stare into those green eyes. I felt nothing but fear and hate for him. I opened my hand and showed him the money. He didn't look at it though, he kept on staring at me. I managed to tear my eyes away from his. "This is what you came here for. Take it and leave." He looked at the money in my hand and took it, but he didn't leave. "Now, you still don't seem to understand. I am the one to give the orders, not you." He kissed me roughly, and I squirmed underneath him as he pressed me firmly against the wall. My knees gave out but he held me by my waist, keeping me upright. He broke the kiss. "You never seem to learn." At that he left with the money. Dan's money. I started shaking uncontrollably and sat on the floor, wrapping my arms around my legs. Why did he do this? He knew I wasn't going to leave Dan. He just wanted to see me suffer. At some point I would have to tell Dan, but I was too scared PJ might hurt him or my parents. PJ knows my every move. Everything I do he knows about. One thing made me stop shaking. He hadn't asked me to get more money. I didn't have to ask Dan again. I got up and went to get a shower.


End file.
